The kids are settled back in school and the fall routine for divorced parents is well underway. Every other week, every other weekend, half of Christmas vacation- custody schedules can be a lot to keep up with. Not to mention all the other things you need to keep track of when kids are living in two homes, including finances, sports gear, and school work. Instead of keeping track of one family, you now have to manage your kids, yourself, and your ex. Co-parenting has its challenges and one of them is simply logistics. Both parents being organized is key to the transition running smoothly. There are some great resources out there, both paper and digital, to help keep your two-household life organized. If you are a paper person this free divorce and custody schedule is a great resource. This single mom and organizational expert has been through the divorce and co-parenting transition and shares her valuable knowledge. This free planner has multiple printable schedules to help you organize your new life, including a year at a glance custody schedule, regular visitation schedule, and a holiday and days-off schedule. In addition, it has a court date section, and an important contacts section for easy reference of attorneys, therapists, and more. The agreement references section helps you keep track of where to find agreements within your divorce decree, parenting plan, or other documents so you can quickly reference as needed. Other helpful sections help you keep track of expenses, like attorney’s fees, and a payments section helps you to keep track of child support and alimony payments. This printable is a great resource to help you keep everything you need to manage the road after a divorce right.
Communicating Co-Parenting Info with Your Ex
How do you communicate all your co-parenting information with your ex? Depending on your relationship, sometimes communicating digitally is best. One app that has solved this issue is 2houses. Created by a divorced father who saw a void that needed to be filled. Their website shares, “We help separated parents and families to communicate and become organized for the well-being of their children.” 2Houses is a neutral platform that helps families avoid conflict when they plan and communicate schedules. Instead of face-to-face communication, phone, text, or using their kids as messengers, everything is scheduled and shared online. 2houses can help organize child custody, share school and medical information, and track expenses. Other popular co-parenting apps include ourfamilywizard.com and twohappyhomes.com. Each site serves as a central hub that both parents can log into and share information on schedules, finances, and much more. One unique aspect of the software is the family dashboard. You can see the upcoming week at a glance, review recent finances, see if a co-parent has replied to a note you added, browse information posted in an online divorce community, and get expert advice from divorce professionals. Having two separate homes after divorce can bring a unique set of challenges for a family. Being organized is the first step in keeping you and your family healthy, happy, and a little more stress-free. Michael Puhl of Puhl Law Group, P.C. is a board certified family law lawyer. He was recently selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list in 2016. No more than five percent of the lawyers in Texas are selected by Super Lawyers. Call 972-569-3166 for an appointment and learn more about the divorce process. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save